The Ties that Bind Us
by Quatrina Raberba
Summary: *AU* Kuririn had lived on Vejita-sei his entire life, always believing he was a Saiya-jin. When his true origin is suddenly revealed, will the racism on Vejita-sei strengthen his and Kakarotto's friendship? Or simply tear it to shreds?...
1. Once Upon a Time...

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Dragonball Z, nor any of the characters belonging to it.  Any other characters are of my own creation and belong to me.  Thank you.  

                **Summary:  **Kuririn has grown up on Vejita-sei his entire life, believing he was a Saiya-jin and never giving much thought to his heritage and irregularities.  But when truths of his origin are revealed, will the severe racism on the planet strengthen his and Kakarotto's relationship?  Or will it simply tear it to shreds?   

This is the tale of Kuririn and Kakarotto's struggles, trials, and ultimate epic journey across the borderline of innocence and into the frontier known as manhood...

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:  **This is an AU (Alternate Universe) wherein Kuririn has been raised on Vejita-sei almost his entire life.  Please note that he _shaves his head, _so he will not seem abnormal among his Saiya-jin peers who do not grow hair.  Thank you.  

                **- Quatrina Raberba**

**The Ties that Bind Us**

             Serenity momentarily reigned all.  Mighty trees, tall with age, towered over the small path that trailed through the ancient forest.  Golden sunlight spilt through holes in the canopy and graced the moist blades of grass that were rooted on the edges of the path and between the trees.  Normally, on a hot day like this one, the path would be stamped with footprints, both large and small.  Many a muscular boy would hang from aged tree limbs, while others would roll down the side of the path due to some sort of scuffle.  Some came to escape the ruthless sun; others came to escape their ruthless masters.  All in all, they all came for the sole purpose of a brief diversion. 

                But not today.

                Not a soul was in sight, save a single figure that wandered down the straight path.  It would be easy to overlook him and assume no one lingered.  He made no loud noises of laughter, taunting, or yelling like most boys his age did when they weren't at work.  Instead, his hands were shoved neatly into his pocket while his head was bowed in a manner that almost resembled shame.  He wore armor of a warrior in training typical of any student living in his area.  His, however, was battered and terribly worn.  This could have been done either by excessive use -- or excessive beatings – for Saiya-jin armor was very strong indeed and very difficult to damage.

                He was a short fellow.  This was probably his most prominent feature, besides his lack of nose.  Like his armor, his face looked incredibly worn.  One of his eyes swelled with bruises and beads of sweat formed upon his shaved head.  A cut had been placed on his right cheek, the crimson blood drying and crusting some time ago.

                After giving an exhausted sigh, he suddenly stopped and leaned against one of the many trees that towered over the path.  The trunk was wide and the bark was hard, but it was a comfortable place to rest for the time being.  Quietly, he slid down until he was propped against the base of the tree.  After warily surveying his surroundings, he felt quite pleased to see that none of the other boys were about.  Sighing again, this time with relief, he closed his eyes and absorbed the warm sunlight that fell upon his face.     

                   His peers knew the poor boy as Kuririn.  A peculiar name for a Saiya-jin, Kuririn wasn't the only one who wondered of the name's origin.  Many a jibe and jeer would be directed towards him.  This was not only because of his name, but also his lack of a tail.  Among Saiya-jins, tails were considered sacred and were the main source of power.  For a warrior to be _without_ one – that was unthinkable!  Unless, that is, the warrior were an outcast…his tail severed off by those who wanted him to leave the planet and wander aimlessly through space for the remainder of his life.  Due to this well-known fact, it wasn't unusual for Kuririn to be labeled as an outcast.  This was because he was different.

                And being different was bad on Vejita-sei.

                It made Kuririn stick out too much.  So, after many times of simply overlooking the diminutive teenager, they would finally notice him and he would become the brunt of their jokes.  However, over time he got used to this.  He had learned to accept the situation as it was and eventually began to believe that he was no good – just as he was told everyday.  

                At that moment, though, the warrior in training was having a moment of peace to himself.  The other boys were off trying out for the annual tournament – a requirement for any warrior (male or female) to graduate.  Suddenly, the thought of the grueling battles that were being fought sent shivers down his spine and he drew his knees up to his chest and squeezed his eyes shut.  To think that he had been participating in such an ordeal not even an hour ago!

                After letting out a slow, ragged breath he relaxed a little and his arms hung limply at his sides.  He decided he would enjoy the peace and quiet while he could and try not to dwell on his earlier situation and his ultimate humiliation.  Before he had a chance to fully relax himself and absorb the undisturbed scenery about him, he heard a twig abruptly snap.

                Immediately, he was thrown out of his wandering thoughts and into the reality of chaos and confusion.  Kuririn's deep, ebony eyes flew open and they darted about his surroundings in anxiety.  "Who's…who's there?"  He called out, trying to sound bold.  Another twig snapped in response.  The bald student jumped to his feet and once again he observed the environment.  He saw no one.  

                Just as he was about to dismiss whatever he heard as his imagination or a stray animal wandering about, a tremendous blow hit him in the side, knocking him down to the grassy floor.  Needless to say, he had the wind knocked out of him and a panic filled him as his lungs momentarily failed to replenish.  Strong arms pinned him against the ground and they prevented him from getting free, squirm as he might.

                Realizing that his efforts were futile, he finally ceased his struggling and lay still beneath the sturdy hands that had the terrible grip on him.  His eyes were squeezed shut and before he could open them, he heard an innocent laugh sound from his captor.

                "Gotchya!"

                  The voice sounded all too familiar – in a good way, mind you.  Wearily, Kuririn opened one eye to find a larger boy peering down at him, seemingly interested in what he had caught.  

In appearance, he was the complete opposite of our Kuririn.  He had hair -- lots of it.  It shot out in different directions, too.  Kuririn was never sure if this was simply because it was stuck that way or if the boy just never took care of it.  The funny-haired boy was much bigger and taller than Kuririn was as well.  Then there was the boy's furry, monkey-like tail.  Because he -- and most normal Saiya-jins like him -- possessed a tail, he had much more strength and power reserved than Kuririn.  This, of course, was something Kuririn wished he had most of all.

"K-kakarotto!" he sputtered at last.  In response, his captor lightheartedly grinned.

"I got you good, Kuririn!"  Kakarotto, the abnormally silly Saiya-jin laughed with delight.  Kuririn on the other hand was not so pleased.  The larger of the two boys could easily read it in the other's expression.  "Aw, c'mon.  There's nothing wrong with a little fun!"  He gave his best smile and finally, Kuririn gave in and cracked a grin of his own.

After getting over the initial shock of being pounced upon, Kuririn felt immense relief flow through him.  He would much rather be tackled by Kakarotto than any of the other boys.  This was largely due to the fact that Kakarotto was always careful not to damage his little (and only) friend and he always meant it in good fun.  His other peers, however, weren't so careful and events that followed after he was pinned were usually not pleasant to watch.  

By now, Kakarotto was off Kuririn and was helping the smaller student to his feet.  "I was looking all over for you!" said the black haired Saiya-jin cheerfully.  Kuririn looked at his friend quizzically.  "Yeah," he went on, nodding his head all the while,  "your grandpa sent me out to get you!"

"Grandpa…?  I wonder why--" Kuririn suddenly stopped in mid sentence.  "Oh, no."  His voice became very small.  "I'll betchya he heard about what happened today at tryouts…"

"Tryouts?"  Kakarotto scratched his head in thought.  "Oh!  Oh, yeah, tryouts!  I forgot about those.  So _that's_ where you got all of those cuts and stuff!  I'm really sorry I couldn't come for that, but Radditsu made me do all of these chores for him."  For a moment, Kakarotto's usually happy face flickered with immense disappointment.  "I'm sure you did really good anyway!"  He beamed again.                           

"I wouldn't be so sure."  Along with his spirits, Kuririn's whole frame seemed to sag as he gestured towards his injuries.  "It…it was horrible, Kakarotto.  I did really bad…Grandpa won't even want to look at me for weeks!"  

Always eager to lift Kuririn's hopes, Kakarotto tilted his head with curiosity and raised an eyebrow.  "I find that hard to believe.  Maybe you're just being too hard on yourself?  I mean you worked really, really hard in training!"

"Yeah, well…" Kuririn averted his eyes to the ground.  "I _know _the techniques…it's just that…" He really didn't want to talk about tryouts right then.        

Kakarotto, either getting the subtle hint or simply losing interest in tryouts for the moment, suddenly said, "Hey!  I'll race you!"

Kuririn groaned.  "Kakarotto…you know you always win."

A playful grin formed onto the good-natured Saiya-jin's face.  "So?  It's still fun!"  Before Kuririn knew it, his friend was dashing through the forest, jumping over branches and other obstacles, an innocent, child-like laugh floating behind him.

"Wait for me!"  The smaller boy chased after Kakarotto instinctively, feeling the warmth of the sun and the cool leaves brush against his skin.

                …The last thing he wanted was to be left in that dreadful place all alone…

Black walls stared menacingly at him.  The charcoal atmosphere of the room suited his brooding mood well.  Fierce flames crackled and sparked in the fireplace before him, but the brilliance of the fire seemed almost suffocated by the immense gloom that flittered through the abandoned hallways and deathly silenced rooms.  He felt old, decayed, wasted, and depleted. Perhaps this was because he was indeed all of these things.  Gently, his aged and withered hand stroked his snow-white beard with strained thought.  Even though the action was a short and simple one, he could have sworn he heard his bones creak.

                He laughed bitterly to himself as his charcoal colored eyes gazed into the dancing flames that mocked him with all of their life and exuberance.  How was it possible to hear your bones creak when you, yourself, were probably growing deaf as the months wasted away?  Bushy eyebrows furrowed together while his mind tried to recall the major events that had engraved themselves into his ancient life.  

                "Kuririn…"

                Not even a brief moment had passed after he had uttered that name when the door towards the left of the murky room slid open.  Golden beams of sunlight fell into the house, allowing light to seep into the far corners of the once darkened room.  The fire quivered with delight.  Ah, yes.  Kuririn.  The old man had sensed him coming long ago, hadn't he?  

                "Grandfather," a boy's solemn voice came from behind him.  "Kakarotto told me that you needed to speak to me."  The elderly, former warrior kept his back facing Kuririn as he continued to stare into the flames.

                "That is correct, Kuririn."  His voice was thin and frail.  It seemed even more so than that very morning and this concerned the short student greatly.  

                "Hello, Neab-san!"  Kakarotto's voice cheerfully rang before the room took on a happier glow.  

                Kakarotto – the child who had been dropped on his head as baby, never acting quite right again.  The old man heard the strange Saiya-jin call out his name and his eyebrow twitched.  He knew for certain that he had not sensed the incredible fighter and his dulled senses began to worry him.  But he made no action that would have indicated this.  

                "Kakarotto.  You sound…cheerful…as usual,"  the ancient man (known as "Neab" to the students) slowly spoke.  

                "I'm happy today, Neab-san!"  Of course.  Kakarotto was always happy.  But then…who could possibly be happy on a place like Vejita-sei?  Maybe the poor boy was simply fooling everyone, including himself.  Maybe no one would ever know.

                "Of course you are, Kakarotto," Neab answered carefully.

                "Grandfather?"  Kuririn queried quietly as he took a step inside of the room.

                "Oh, yes…Kuririn."  Neab cleared his throat and stroked his beard again.  "Do you recall a medic named Aisay?"  There was a moment of silence before Kuririn spoke.

                "Yeah.  Yes, I remember him, Grandfather."  A clearly confused Kuririn blinked.  He had visited him on many occasions when he was younger and more prone to disease.  Aisay, however, being the brilliant Saiya-jin medic that he was, was able to form a certain type of medication to help his illnesses.  After that, it was a rarity for him to become sick.  When Kuririn had first met Doctor Aisay, he had been very skeptical, seeing how Saiya-jin medics were few and far between.  Even so, Neab had paid him well, and so he had done his very best.  The fact that Neab and Aisay had served together in the army for a brief time had probably helped somewhat, too.

                "Aisay is dead."                

The words briefly bounced off from wall to wall, creating an eerie echo.  

Aisay is dead.  Kuririn blinked once…and then twice as he handled that small sentence in his 15 year-old mind.  Aisay was certainly no close friend of his.  He was no one he knew even mildly well.  Doctor Aisay, the crazy Saiya-jin medic, was simply a vague shadow almost lost in the depths of his memory.  Why was his grandpa so troubled by his death that he would go out of his way to summon him just to inform him of it?  Kuririn certainly wasn't troubled about it.  On Vejita-sei, everyone died at one point or another.  

Realizing that he was expected to say something, Kuririn opened his mouth to speak.  However, Kakarotto beat him to it.

"Did you know him really well, Neab-san?"  He inquired innocently.  There was a brief pause on the old Saiya-jin's part.

"No.  No, I did not, Kakarotto," he finally answered.

Now Kuririn was especially confused.  If his own grandfather didn't know him that well, then why did he appeared so bothered by his death?  Even when Neab's brother had died, the mourning period was very brief, and then the old man had moved on with his life.  Death was apart of the life of a Saiya-jin, or any creature in the universe.  

Of course, Kuririn had never lost anyone he was close to, so he didn't know what it was like to cope with a family member's death or anything of the like.  Sure, there would be acquaintances that would finally graduate, and they would be shipped off to some sort of combat area.  Most of the time, they were never heard from again.  But that was to be expected.  

Even so, Kuririn hated the idea of death.  He didn't understand why so many Saiya-jins looked forward to that part of the life cycle.  

"Did he…die…in a combat area, Grandfather?"  Kuririn asked unsurely.  Neab mutely nodded.  It was just as he had thought, then.  

"He had left for just a few weeks.  No one bothered to find a replacement for him, Kuririn.  But now…I suppose they'll have to, won't they?"  Neab spoke at last, but with a sense of uneasiness.  Kuririn and Kakarotto exchanged puzzled looks.

"Well, yeah, Neab-san," Kakarotto said bluntly.  "They'll have to find another medic right away.  Especially with the tournament tryouts and all…" Kuririn's eyes widened as he stared at his best friend with shock, hurt, and a little bit of betrayal evident in his eyes.  "Oops…!"  Kakarotto quickly covered his mouth with his hands while his dark eyes darted around the room. 

Kuririn inwardly groaned as Neab looked up from the dancing fire.  "Tournament tryouts," he said slowly.  "I almost forgot about those.  Kuririn…you didn't go to tryouts, did you?"  Kuririn blinked again with confusion as he felt his body tremble.  

_Relax, Kuririn!  _He told himself sternly.  "Of c-course I went, Grandfather," he stated meekly.  "Just as you told me to."  It was then that Neab slowly stood up, his robes dirty from the dust they had collected from the floor.  He stood with difficulty, a clear sign of his age.  Once upon a time, he had been very tall, but as he had grown with age, his body had visibly shrunken.  Now he was only a few feet taller than Kuririn was.

Neab gradually turned around and faced the bruised and battered Kuririn.  There was an awkward moment of silence, save the occasional gulping on Kuririn's part.  Sweat ran down his face, making his bloodied cuts sting even worse.  Neab, however, maintained a blank face as he tried to absorb all that he was seeing.  

Kakarotto knew full and well what was going to happen.  Neab was going to take a menacing step forward, and tell his poor friend about his past as a revered trainer, teacher, and warrior.  He was going to tell him how he expected the same from Kuririn, how humiliating it was to have such a boy for a grandson.  The 14-year old Saiya-jin was more than ready to grab Kuririn's hand and make a run for it, before fists began to fly like they usually did.  

But none of that happened.

Instead, Neab's eyes furrowed together in frustration.  His charcoal colored eyes flickered, but with an emotion other than anger.  "You'll have to see a medic to get that taken care of, won't you?"  Kuririn stumbled back, as if he had been hit.  What was going on here?  

"Y-yes."

 "Don't."  The order was firm and direct.  "I can take care of that just as well as any old doctor."  He made a fist and narrowed his eyes.  Kuririn swiftly nodded, wanting nothing but to get out of the old house and run free outside with Kakarotto.  "I'll take a look at those injuries later.  I'm busy thinking right now."  He slowly turned around and sat down upon the floor again, his whole frame seemingly sagging down in a downtrodden fashion.  "Besides – the pain would do you good."

Kuririn gulped again and quickly nodded again, though he was so shaken that he didn't realize that Neab was no longer facing him.  

"Can we go now, Neab-san?"  Kakarotto asked, clearly tired of the whole affair and of seeing Kuririn in such a terrible state.

"Fine.  Just get out of here," Neab answered wearily, his eyes closing in deep thought.  The two teenagers didn't have to be told twice.  He heard them suddenly run out of the house, the door slamming shut behind them.  The sunlight sharply died away into a dark nothingness and the flickering flames quivered again.  All was just as it had been before they had even thought about entering.  His gloomy mood returned.       

***

End Chapter One

***

More to come!  Remember: feedback is appreciated immensely!  ^^


	2. Silky Raindrops and Coarse Winds

**Author's Notes:  **Thanks you _so much _for the reviews you gave for the previous chapter.  Those help me a lot.  Thanks again! ^^

__________

"Hey, Kuririn!  Don't you think Neab-san was acting a little…um…well…"

"Weird?"  Kuririn's eyes shifted over to his taller friend as the two teens strolled along the winding, dirt road. 

  
                Kakarotto nodded furiously in response, his jet-black hair bobbing along with his head.  After the boy had done so, an odd silence lingered between the muscular duo.  Neither one of them dared to say a word regarding the old man.  It seemed disrespectful somehow.  

Kuririn took the uneasy silence as an opportunity to listen to the wild birds of the wooded area squawk loudly.  An air of chaos had suddenly filled his being…perhaps due to his sudden confusion.  Yes, suddenly _everything _seemed to have a feel for this mood.  The shrieking birds, the sudden intensity of the wind…and his own grandfather.  In his own quiet and calm way, he had managed to fill Kuririn with immense insecurity.   And that, of course, made Kuririn worry. 

There was more to this than what met the eye.  Much more.  And yet, Kuririn felt as if he could almost****_taste _it at the tip of his tongue.  A certain uneasiness began to overwhelm him; one that he had felt only one time before.  And when that had been…he could not remember.  This only made his uneasiness grow ten fold.  What could it be?  What was it?

_What was it?_

Slowly, Kakarotto's innocent voice found its way to Kuririn's active and apprehensive mind.

"A storm's on its way, isn't it?"

The smaller boy's soulful eyes once again darted over to his companion abruptly.  "Wh-what…do you mean?"  Kakarotto looked and Kuririn with mild surprise.  

"I _mean _that a storm is coming!"  He gestured grandly about himself and Kuririn with his strong, brawny arms.  "Look!  The wind, the clouds…a storm!"  As if to prove his point, a powerful gust of wind curtly brushed past them, sending Kakarotto's hair in a frenzy of movement.  "Isn't it great, Kuririn?  Vejita-sei hardly ever gets any rain!"  An innocent little laugh bubbled from him as he spun around, his arms stretched out in front of his body. 

Of course.  Kakarotto – innocent, little Kakarotto.  Kuririn had almost expected him to forget about such matters as if they never happened.  One minute, his inquisitive, child-like mind was searching through endless possibilities for Neab-san's odd behavior…the next he was celebrating the arrival of rain and all the wonderful things that went with it. 

Suddenly, Kakarotto stopped spinning and looked at his friend with a certain wide-eyed curiosity that Kuririn was all too familiar with.  "Hey!"  He waved his arms about him, freely exhibiting the impulsive energy that filled him.  "Hey, Kuririn!  Why are there so many plants around here if we don't get any rain, huh?"

Kuririn chuckled inwardly.  "I all ready explained it out to you, Kakarotto.  It's because there is a kind of force field that traps moisture from the occasional rain and lets it out very slowly."  He paused.  "I think."  Shrugging, he went on, saying, "You know, this is the only third classer school that has this thing!"

Kakarotto smiled broadly.  "You're so smart, Kuririn!"

The bald boy felt a heated blush creep across his face and ears, the cold wind doing nothing in sending it away.  "Aw, not really.  I just remember hearing Grandpa talking about it once.  If it weren't for that…I don't think I would have known.  They don't teach us that kind of stuff in school."

"I guess you're right.  But I wouldn't have known if you hadn't have heard it from your Grandpa and told me about it!  All they teach us in school is how to fight."

"And military history," Kuririn added.  Kakarotto wrinkled his nose at the mere thought of the class.  Noticing this, Kuririn raised an eyebrow.   "Hey, I actually like it.  For some reason…I seem to like it better than…" He turned his head towards the cloudy sky in a slight contemplative mood.  "Fighting." 

A giggle emitted from Kakarotto for a moment before it escalated into a laugh.  "You're the first person I've ever heard _say _that!  Do you _seriously _like looking through dusty old books instead of learning how to fight?"

Once again, Kuririn silently berated himself for expecting even his closest friend to understand something of that nature.  "No," he hastily answered.  "N-no, I was just…um…kidding."  For effect, he gave a lazy grin, though his muscles were far from relaxed.  

Kakarotto's lips turned in an upward direction.  "I thought so!  You know how gullible I am, Kuririn!  Stop teasing me."  He gave a playful nudge, his brute strength shoving Kuririn slightly off of his feet.  Fortunately, the short teen was able to catch himself before he toppled to the ground.  Kakarotto was swift to assist him and merely shrugged in apology.

A crack of thunder suddenly boomed from the vast, grey sky, startling both of students to the point of clinging onto each other in fright.  This sort of weather was extremely uncommon on Vejita-sei, the usually cloudless sky having an eerie, blood red hue about it.  However, about once a year this peculiar, rainy weather would seemingly come from out of nowhere and swirl about random areas of the planet, sending even the most powerful warriors into a brief, silent wonder. 

Once the two boys had recovered their wits, they abruptly let go of one another with an awkward and embarrassed air about their movements.  Lightning silently flashed through the sky and was soon followed by a low growl from the heavens.  Kakarotto stared up at the sky in amazement, clearly pleased by the sight now.  "Sometimes," he said as his eyes remained fixed upon the assembly of the dark clouds, "I just wanna fly up and touch those things."  He pointed to another flash of lightning.

"Ah!  Kakarotto, are you crazy?"  Kuririn looked up at him in bewilderment.  "They look dangerous!  Why would you want to touch something like that?"  The younger boy looked down at Kuririn and shrugged.

"To see if I could do it, I guess.  And maybe to see what they feel like."  Before Kuririn could even open his mouth to respond, another gust of angry wind shoved past them.  Suddenly, drops of water began to pour down through the trees, branches, and leaves.  They went on from there to graze against the bases of the trees and through the velvety flowers and the silky grass blades before heavily impacting with the dark, rich soil which gratefully soaked up the much needed water.

His mouth wide open, Kakarotto stretched up his arms as if to embrace the sudden rain.  "Look, Kuririn!" he exclaimed with delight.  "Look!  It's raining!  It's raining!"  He jumped into the air with jubilee and landed onto the dirt path, now mixed with freshly made mud.  Needless to say, he greatly welcomed the cool and countless drops of rain caressing his dirty face and skin.  

Kuririn on the other hand, rubbed his eyes with his small hands.  As the rain made contact with the dried and crusted blood plastered upon his face, it soon turned to liquid and re-opened the cuts he had received just earlier that day.  Frowning, he gave a soft sigh.  This was simply _not_ his day.  He opened his eyes again and glared at the rain ruefully.  

Without even as much as one thought, his mouth slowly and silently began to form the words that seemed to always enter into his mind at this time of year:

_Rain, rain, go away._

_Come again another day…_

He abruptly stopped, suddenly not knowing the rest to this…poem?  Song?  

Well…whatever it was…it didn't really matter, did it?  No, of course not.  Songs and poems were foolish on Vejita-sei.  He didn't dare recite it aloud.  Thus, a certain uneasiness descended upon him once again and he bit his lower lip in an attempt to suppress it.  

          ___________

He was very upset. 

In fact, upset wasn't even the word to describe it.  He was furious.  He was livid.  He was enraged, infuriated, and incensed, too.  

But in short, Radditsu was very, _very_ upset.  And every student on campus knew what events took place when Radditsu was upset.  Even the oldest students stepped away as he stormed by, his furry tail wrapped tightly around his waist with rage.  He forced a growl out from his throat, hoping it would relieve some of his tension, but it only served in making it grow.  As he stomped outside from one of the many grand gymnasiums that the academy had, his eyes narrowed at the pouring rain with annoyance.

He _hated _it when his long, black hair got wet.  However, he _had_ to get it wet, because he had to find that wretched boy!  That horrible nuisance that irked him to no end.  That idiot of a Saiya-jin.  Where could he have gotten to?!  Hadn't it only been just a few hours ago when he had done that shabby job of cleaning the gymnasium floor for him?  Where was he now?

_Where was Kakarotto?!_

He gave a small grunt when he finally stepped completely out into the rain, cringing inwardly as he allowed the rain to make contact with his disheveled hair.  Though he despised the rain with a passion, he decided that the thunder and lightening fit his mood very much.  And Radditsu found an immense delight in that.

  After making a tight, firm fist, he was determined to simply ignore the bother known as rain.  He needed to save his anger for his encounter with his little brother.  A soft, menacing chuckle escaped from him, but it was almost impossible to hear due to the constant pounding of the rain that surrounded him.

He silently wondered where he should start looking as he took a step forward and glanced about him.  All he saw was the dirt pathway that led from the gymnasium and into the thick, dark, woods.  He grumbled at the sight.  To him, the whole force field idea was foolish.  He knew full and well that the only reason they wanted such a hideous thing was because the wealthy were able to live in the few places on Vejita-sei that received rain on a regular basis.  They simply wanted to _feel _to like they were actually worth the same as wealthy warriors.

Feh.  Idiots.  He could almost taste the disgust in his mouth.

He was suddenly thrown back into reality when he heard Kakarotto's distinct, innocent laughter floating about in the cool rain.  The very sound made his blood boil.  Kakarotto -- _his _brother.  He found the very thought repulsive and his urge to find the boy became even stronger. 

With a dangerously cool and quiet air about him, he quickly wandered into the woods to search for the boy he desperately wished he wasn't related to.  All the while he noticed with great irritation that his thick, long hair clung to his broad back and waist.  Gruffly, he called Kakarotto's name.

The innocent laughter abruptly stopped.

At first, he felt another wave of anger shoot through his being.  Now he would have no idea how to locate the little brat, as he didn't have a scouter on him at the moment and he was having a horribly difficult time learning how to sense people.  But then…after the anger had dulled a bit, a wicked smile curled into form and he cracked his knuckles with delight.  The swift death of the laughter was a clear sign that his little brother feared him.  Yes…Kakarotto feared him greatly.

        And why not?  He was, after all, one the most feared students in the academy.  No one had any desire to get caught up in a conflict with Radditsu.  It was simply the way things were and Radditsu loved that fact to no end.  His Saiya-jin teachers thought it was such a pity, however, that Kakarotto didn't turn out like his elder brother.  He was so innocent and pure, a painful contrast from his older brother.  It disgusted them all.  But no one was more disgusted than Radditsu.  _No one._  In fact, the burly Saiya-jin was convinced that if it weren't for Kakarotto's ability to grasp onto fighting concepts so quickly, he would have been murdered in his sleep long ago.

Not that he would have minded.

He shook himself out of thought once again, when he heard soft voices, almost obscured by the rain's constant jabber.   They cautiously lurked about the trees, pausing every so often in case an intruder was near by.  One of these voices sounded vaguely like Kakarotto.  

Another smile curled across his face and his eyebrows knitted together with delight.  Oh, yes…when he got his hands on that boy…

He took no time to think.  Quickly, he charged into the trees until he spotted two dim figures along the wooded path.  He closed his eyes with pure bliss as the wind blew across his clumped and soggy hair.  With a bound and then a leap, he sprung into the air with frightening precision and pounced upon one of the two poor, unsuspecting travelers.

"I've got you," he hissed dangerously into an ear.  A pair of high-pitched female screams greeted him.  Radditsu's eyebrow visibly twitched.  "What the--!"

"Radditsu!"  The female above him shouted furiously.  "You pervert!"  She kicked him roughly in the side, swiftly sending him into the mud and off of the other flustered young woman.  "Get off her!"  Radditsu clenched his teeth as he sunk into the sticky mud.  The brown gunk oozed freely through his hair, and he was beginning to taste the stuff in his mouth.  

Now, normally Radditsu struck fear into the ladies.  He had never been a ladies man.  However, when women felt threatened in such a way…they had a manner of banning together and letting him have it, physically and verbally.  Radditsu found this very amusing most of the time, as he never took females seriously.  Today, however…_today _was not they day for that!

"Yosu!"  Radditsu growled at such an ignorant girl who had dared kick at him.  "Yosu, it's _you!_"

Yosu, a very tall and muscular girl narrowed her blue eyes at the muddy Saiya-jin, her short, black hair clinging to the back of her neck with moisture.  "Very good, Radditsu.  Not get out of here and leave us alone," she spat bravely.  Her own tail was wrapped firmly around her waist with anxiety as her blistered and calloused hands remained clasped behind her back.

Radditsu growled and rose up from the ridiculously sticky mud, swaying slightly at the sharp pain eating away at his side.  "Yosu," he snarled, warning cutting deeply into his words.  Yosu, on the other hand, merely took a step back.  She knew full and well that Radditsu was stronger than her.  Radditsu knew this as well.  Since this was certainly the case, caution was her top priority.  Of course…a Saiya-jin's version of caution is far different from a human's.

The girl whom Radditsu had so rudely tackled had stood by now, her armored torso filthy with sludge while her own long, black hair stuck to her back.  Her wide, charcoal eyes stared at Radditsu until it seemed like she would bore a hole into the young man with her intense gaze.  She was a good deal smaller than Yosu and Radditsu both, thus remaining unusually quiet.  Few even knew her name; she was that unimportant to her peers.  Radditsu paid no heed to her, seeing that she was not a threat to his pride at all.

"Outta my way," hissed Kakarotto's older brother as he drew his arm back to strike her.  Yosu stared at him blankly before wisely stepping aside to let him pass.  An amused snort escaped from Radditsu before he proceeded forward, past the small girl and to Yosu's side.  After stopping abruptly, he immediately turned to the dark haired girl and without the slightest hesitation, gave her a swift clout across the face.  Not even a cry escaped her as the impact from Radditsu's fist sent her flying into the mud, and sliding into the base of a tall, ancient tree.  

                "Radditsu!"  The younger girl cried out for her, taking a step towards him.  

                Radditsu merely laughed.  "She's just lucky I'm not angry."  He smirked and turned towards the outraged girl.  "And so are you."  With that, he turned away from both of them, not giving the slightest thought to what had just occurred and went about his way down the grimy path.  He continued to do so without even looking back until he eventually faded into the distance, leaving an air of relief behind him and giving of an air of dread before him.

                          ___________

                A stray droplet fell from one of the branches that towered above them.  It brushed against several damp leaves and soggy branches, paying no attention to the obstacles that sat in its way.  When all challenges had been passed, the droplet continued its descent through the heavy air until it collided against the back of Kakarotto's sweaty neck.

"Hold still, Kuririn."  

                Horrible hands gripped onto the smaller boy tightly, keeping him firmly in place on the ground.  Kuririn's eyes were squeezed shut as he managed to nod quickly.  "I'm trying, Kakarotto."  A pause lingered between them.  "Just get it over with…"

                "Right!"  Kakarotto's more than enthusiastic response was somewhat upsetting to Kuririn.  What was he so cheerful about anyway?  Then again, Kakarotto was _always _cheerful, wasn't he?  While it was one of the younger boy's best qualities, there were times when his cheerfulness wasn't exactly appreciated – nor appropriate.  But that was simply the way things were.  And you had to accept things for the way they were on Vejita-sei.  "Here we go!"  

Kuririn immediately felt a cool cloth be thrown against his scraped face, causing him to flinch involuntarily.  Before it could slide away from him and land in his lap, a strong hand pressed against the coarse cloth and began to scrape it against Kuririn's scratched skin.  He rubbed thoroughly, removing any dirt that could have possibly gotten into the cuts through out the day.  When the hand finally drew back with the cloth, Kakarotto examined his handy work closely.  "Hmmm.  All the dirt's gone on your face now."

                "But the cuts are bleeding again, Kakarotto," observed Kuririn as he brought his own hand to his face.  Sure enough, he felt the warm blood trickle slowly down his bruised cheekbones and forehead.

                "At least they're not dirty!"  The taller boy beamed and peered forward at him.  "Come on…let's do your head now!"  He dipped the cloth into a small bowl of water that sat between them, ignoring the blades of moist grass that tickled against his wrists as he did so.

                It was then that Kuririn finally opened his eyes, looking at Kakarotto and then at the tall trees that loomed over them boldly.  Their large branches and boughs cast odd shaped shadows against his bleeding face, but Kuririn didn't complain.  He enjoyed the coolness against his skin the moisture produced.  It had stopped raining several minutes ago and the force fields were all ready beginning to do their labor.  

                The birds chirped in a meek and quiet manner as the clouds that hung in the sky elegantly drifted away to distant lands that lay far beyond the campus borders.  The winds rustled past he and his larger companion, tempting Kuririn to take a deep breath to experience the damp air that swirled gently about him.  Kakarotto shifted in the tufts of different grasses that he was nestled in, looking at Kuririn with a curious expression.  After a brief moment, the innocent child hummed quietly and rocked back and forth with a playful air about him.  

They both suddenly wanted to savor the moment as if they would never have another quite like it again…             

It was then that Kuririn felt his hair stand on end.  Horrible goose bumps spread across his strong arms and legs.  With tensed muscles, he abruptly began to fidget with trembling breath.  He felt numb.  His stomach seemed to be twisting itself into endless knots of misery and woe.  Something…_something…_

"S-something's watching me," he whispered suddenly.

Kakarotto's humming abruptly died as his head turned towards his friend.  "What do you mean Kuririn?  We're alone."  He looked about him to make sure what he said was true.  When he was sure that he saw no one, he beamed and nodded.  "Yup!  I don't see anyone."

"They could be hiding." Kuririn swallowed hard and bit his lip with apprehension.  "People hide when they want to go unnoticed…"

A swift crackle sounded from behind them and Kakarotto immediately sprung to his feet.  Swiftly, he held his fist up in front of him, his breathing quick and uneasy.  "Come out, you spy!  We know you you're there!"

There was nothing save the crowing of some distant birds.

Kuririn watched with fear etched onto his battered face.  Had someone followed them here?  His eyes traveled over to the looming trees, vexed and upset at the very idea that someone might be lurking among the branches, peering at them, unnoticed.      

Kakarotto stayed standing for several tense minutes before slowly sitting back down in the sweet smelling grass.  Neither of the teens uttered a word, but sat listening intently instead.  Little did they know, a pair of sparkling, violet eyes peered at them from the group of dark trees behind them both.  They narrowed in deep thought as pale and flakey fingers gripped onto the stiff bark of a tree.  With a foul smile being played, his gaze settled on a particular, smaller boy.  

_Kuririn…_

_I'm watching you…_

And with a swift movement of an old and faded lab coat, the pair of eyes promptly fell away into the darkness, the fingers disappearing with them.  All that was left behind was the faint echo of a deep and sinister chuckle.

__________

End Chapter 2.  Remember:  feedback is still appreciated! ^_^  


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